Need some help about dog training

Our dog, his previous owners children would scare him, slap him, stuff like that. Now he is terrified of people and he hides under the bed all day and night. He only comes out when he wants to eat or poop. If a stranger try's petting him he runs (in a circle if he is on a leash)

Cannot afford any expert training, so if anyone has any tips please let me know, thanks.

maybe you could look at putting him down?
or maybe getting a new dog.
or just sit on the couch every day and pat him and show him more attention then u show yourself?
charge the children and put them all in jail i say.

Well, the actions are those of submission.... if the dog rolls on it's back, dips it's head or turns away without running off, it's showing submission. The only way to bring a dog back from abuse like that is to work with it, be steady and gentle and loving. Keep in mind that a dog has to have a position in your pack. If you have children, allow the dog to watch over them (If it's non agressive)... when you feed the dog, feed it WITH your family. Make your family's plates, set them at the table, have them set down. Fill the dog's bowl, leave it on the counter. About half way thru the meal, feed the dog and allow it to eat with you guys. That will help establish the dog's position in your pack. Normally, the dog will look to the superior female in your pack... your wife/girlfriend. Under no circumstances can you allow the dog to see itself in a superior position to your children. But make sure it knows it's a member of your pack. Groom it, play with it, most importantly, love it. But discipline it. That is important. General steps:

1. Never say "Bad Dog".
2. If the dog is crate trained, never send it to it's crate as punishment.
3. Allow your pack to eat first before feeding your dog.
4. When your dog does something good, pottying outside, doing a trick, give it a treat and tell it 'good dog' every single time.
5. Whenever giving your dog a command "Sit, Stay, Down, Out, Off..." ALWAYS say the dog's name first. Be sparing using the dog's name otherwise. Use a nickname instead. When talking to it, call it pooch, or buddy, or girl.

These things will help with establishing the dogs position in the pack. Be realistic, though. If the you aren't the alpha in your pack, realize it and act accordingly. Establishment in the pack is the first step towards acclimitizing it to a non-abusive home. Pay attention to the dog. Be firm in discipline, but use positive reinforcement for everything good it does. A treat or a belly rub works best.

reply to post by ReadyPower


To ease the dogs skittish tendancies i have a bit of history with rescue dogs and i heard treats work.
I was able to confirm this too!
Keep treats handy and coax him with treats, pet him/her and tell them good boy/girl.
After awhile they will learn you are the one they depend on for guidance, you are the Alpha/pack leader.
Dogs i believe are smarter or at least wiser than us, they'll trust you in time when you show them they are family.
Listen to Arrowmancer, he/she from the response truly knows teh doggies.

reply to post by Arrowmancer


You ROCK!!!
Anyone who knows doggies has wisdom and in my eyes is a cut above.
My doggies are my buddies.

it will take time. i have 2 rescues, one was abused. to this day (7 years later, ..he's probably 10) he is still a bit hand shy, ie, he ducks when a hand comes near.

follow the advice in the above post....and you should be ok in time. check out the dog whisperer too.

Originally posted by questcequecest
maybe you could look at putting him down?
or maybe getting a new dog.
or just sit on the couch every day and pat him and show him more attention then u show yourself?
charge the children and put them all in jail i say.

I think putting down a dog, or getting a new one, is not training a dog.

I´m sure your post was very helpfull to the OP.

reply to post by ReadyPower


Cesar Millan would say it´s all about the nose. I guess your dog is not operating from the nose, when he sees strangers, he should be curious and want to smell them.

I think you should stimulate the dog to use it´s nose, maybe starting with treats. In any case the dog needs to be snapped out of this fight or flight behavior and put in its natural inquisitive state.

I suggest watching the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.

reply to post by BadBoYeed


I'm more of a fan of Victoria Stillwell than the Dog whisperer.
He is more of a totalitarian trainer where Vicky controls with a velvet hand.
Positive reinforcement I believe is best.
Just my opinion.
I do truly wish we could talk to dogs and them back at us, we'd be able to truly figure em out.

reply to post by g146541


Victoria Stillwell that had a dog put down?

Cesar Millan saved lots of dogs that would otherwise have been put down.

reply to post by UrgentInsurgent


I'm not saying she is perfect, i just prefer her method of training.
Ceasar trains dogs fine but i think especially for an abused dog her approach would be best.
Like i said, just opinion.

reply to post by g146541


Yes, I respect your opinion, it´s just that Cesar Millan works from a natural hierarchical method, wich in my view, is the only natural way to create a balanced and submissive dog.

Everything else is just tricks.

reply to post by ReadyPower


the dogs been broken,like so many people have before,he will never fully heal,the only thing you can do is comfort the creature and bring him to trust you,thats as far as it will go

Arrowmancer has given superb advice. We got our dog as a pup, so had no issues to deal with in terms of undoing abuse.

We used the positive re-inforcement technique, always praising when he got things right. Most dogs just really want to please you, as an owner, you have to teach him how to do that.

It worked for us, and we have a jolly, happy, and extremely well behaved dog.

reply to post by CUJOCREEP


By comforting the dog as it is displaying its fearfull behavior, you would be rewarding and further establishing its unnatural behavior.

Feeling sorry for a dog is negative energy that will only make things worse.

reply to post by ReadyPower


What might help is the use of another a dog. A calm, confident, yet submissive dog could show your dog how to react to certain situations.

I understand that one maybe can´t just get another dog, but maybe you can use a friend´s dog to hang out with a few times a week and practise certain situations.

Well, the actions are those of submission....

reply to post by Arrowmancer


No they actually are not.

If they were, there would not be a problem, since a submissive dog is what you want.

The dog is not in a state of submission, but in a state of fight or flight, in this case flight.

Just wanted to clear that up, since it matters to the OP.

reply to post by ReadyPower


So OP, to recap,

you should stimulate the dogs use of his nose, and his inquisitiveness in general, by food or toys, or anything the dogs shows an attraction to, but not to the point of it becomming an obsession.

You should try to bring in a balanced, calm, yet submissive dog for him to copy from.

You should try to be in a calm and confident energy yourself as you handle the dog, don´t feel sorry for it or try to shelter it, and sure as hell don´t reward the unwanted behavior. Be very carefull not to send the wrong or mixed signals, there can be very subtle signs comming from you that the dog will pick up on.

Be calm, consistent, firm...and loving, but only at the right times, as the dog relaxes and is in the state you want it to be.

reply to post by UrgentInsurgent


so what are you saying ass hole, treat the dog like crap and hope the reverse psychology works,trust me,ive had many dogs,the only thing you can do with a broken dog is gain its trust with you, you are a prick for thinking any different, ass hole

Originally posted by CUJOCREEP
reply to post by UrgentInsurgent

 

so what are you saying ass hole, treat the dog like crap and hope the reverse psychology works,trust me,ive had many dogs,the only thing you can do with a broken dog is gain its trust with you, you are a prick for thinking any different, ass hole

What we have here is a nervous/agressive person.

I don´t know what brought this specimen into this state, but I´m about to roll it on its back and dominate it until it surrenders and turns into a calm submissive person.

Hey...tsjj.


Whatever, dude, if you want to keep acknowledging the broken behavior by rewarding that particular state, be my guest, realize that you are the a hole for not helping the dog. There is obviously nothing wrong with gaining it´s trust, but comforting the dog in its undesired state is counter productive.

reply to post by UrgentInsurgent


lol look dude,if u want a match of wits you got one,im just being real here scratchin my balls chillin, you want to talk intellectual in a false grandiose state,fine,but the reality is,your trying to complicate the situation all together as humans do,specimen? lol quit with that arrogance like you and me are separate your pathetic to say the least, it would do you some good and be within your best interest and get educated and on my side